Yeezy vs. Fiddy: The Battle for DC

In the case of “The Teddy Bear vs. the Gorilla,” it looks like the backpack set may soon be claiming victory. Not only did 50 Cent and Kanye West both, in fact, turn out for 106 and Park on BET yesterday, Ye’s Big Brother stopped by to show love. Billboard reports that West holds an early lead in this week’s national sales projections…but what about here in the District?

Though most shoppers said they were there to pick up both records, FYE at Union Station reported yesterday afternoon that they’d sold three times more copies of Kanye’s Graduation than 50’s Curtis. Upon hearing this news, a customer at the counter responded, “Look where we’re at, though – Union Station,” pointing out that its geography may not be the best gauge of hip hop sales in the Washington area. So, how did other neighborhoods stack up?

The Borders in Friendship Heights emphasized the fact they didn’t have hard numbers yet, but cashiers said “it seemed like” they were selling more of Kanye. CD Warehouse in Georgetown unsurprisingly reported that their customers picked up “Way more Kanye, but that’s normal for us,” while claiming to have sold “a lot more” copies of 50 than expected. CD Game Exchange in Silver Spring had sold out of Graduation, while one copy of Curtis remained.

Kemp Mill Records (1113 F St NW), meanwhile, answered their phone with “Kemp Mill, where we’ve got plenty of Kanye and 50 Cent.” When asked which was selling more, the response was, “It doesn’t matter – we’ve got plenty of copies. 50’s not retiring anytime soon.” They suspected, though, that “Kanye has a little bit of an edge.”

First round: Teddy Bear? Ask Mr. West himself about when he appears for an in-store signing at DTLR in Northeast tonight.